LJ Idol Week 35: "Men and melons are hard to know"
Meal time was always a battle. There was no denying it; Davi was a picky eater. K'tisha mustered an enthusiastic expression as she placed Davi's heaped plate in front of him. He promptly shoved it away.
"Nope. I don't like it," he pouted.
K'tisha tensed. "But you haven't even tried it!" she cooed. "I got it especially for you! And you must be hungry after school."
Davi deigned to hook his plate closer, and eyed the contents suspiciously.
"It doesn't look right." He prodded it. "Are you sure it's ready?"
"Of course it is, dear. The lady at the market helped me choose a good one, and all!"
"But, Muuum, it looks yucky."
"No. It's perfect. Look. Its skin is in perfect condition, no spots or marks, and it's exactly the right colour."
Davi scowled. "Jeq's family had one the other night, and it wasn't that colour."
His mother suppressed a sigh. "The lady at the market said the darker the better, so long as it's not too shiny. Davi, you need to eat."
He slumped back in his chair, glowering at her. She stifled an urge to shove the plate into his face.
"The lady taught me all about them! This was the absolute best one there! Good skin condition, good skin colour, a good weight for its size. It even passes the tap test!" She demonstrated.
He glared.
K'tisha sighed, and reached for a knife. "Look, I'll cut it up for you." She levered the blade through the skin, working off some suppressed frustration, and extracted a delicate slice.
"See? Look how red and juicy the insides are. Mmm, yummy." She pantomimed deliciousness, and shoved his plate back at him.
Davi sniffed, and sniffed again. "Mum, what's that smell?"
K'tisha sniffed, too. "That's funny, it smelled alright at the market." She gingerly prodded her carefully selected offering, and then hooked it up in one tentacle. The creature dangled loosely, its four funny appendages hanging down. She shook it, to little effect, then brought it towards her olfactory organ. "Eurgh!"
Revolted, K'tisha slithered across the kitchen and dumped the human into the recycler, then scrubbed her tentacles at the sink.
"Sorry, Davi. Shall I pop out and pick up a couple of Centaurians, instead?"
Davi nodded.
"Nope. I don't like it," he pouted.
K'tisha tensed. "But you haven't even tried it!" she cooed. "I got it especially for you! And you must be hungry after school."
Davi deigned to hook his plate closer, and eyed the contents suspiciously.
"It doesn't look right." He prodded it. "Are you sure it's ready?"
"Of course it is, dear. The lady at the market helped me choose a good one, and all!"
"But, Muuum, it looks yucky."
"No. It's perfect. Look. Its skin is in perfect condition, no spots or marks, and it's exactly the right colour."
Davi scowled. "Jeq's family had one the other night, and it wasn't that colour."
His mother suppressed a sigh. "The lady at the market said the darker the better, so long as it's not too shiny. Davi, you need to eat."
He slumped back in his chair, glowering at her. She stifled an urge to shove the plate into his face.
"The lady taught me all about them! This was the absolute best one there! Good skin condition, good skin colour, a good weight for its size. It even passes the tap test!" She demonstrated.
He glared.
K'tisha sighed, and reached for a knife. "Look, I'll cut it up for you." She levered the blade through the skin, working off some suppressed frustration, and extracted a delicate slice.
"See? Look how red and juicy the insides are. Mmm, yummy." She pantomimed deliciousness, and shoved his plate back at him.
Davi sniffed, and sniffed again. "Mum, what's that smell?"
K'tisha sniffed, too. "That's funny, it smelled alright at the market." She gingerly prodded her carefully selected offering, and then hooked it up in one tentacle. The creature dangled loosely, its four funny appendages hanging down. She shook it, to little effect, then brought it towards her olfactory organ. "Eurgh!"
Revolted, K'tisha slithered across the kitchen and dumped the human into the recycler, then scrubbed her tentacles at the sink.
"Sorry, Davi. Shall I pop out and pick up a couple of Centaurians, instead?"
Davi nodded.